diff --git a/src/bin/bridgedb.rs b/src/bin/bridgedb.rs
index 9c96aed..0fb1506 100644
--- a/src/bin/bridgedb.rs
+++ b/src/bin/bridgedb.rs
@@ -14,23 +14,26 @@ fn main() {
         serde_json::from_reader(bridgedb_infile).unwrap()
     } else {
         // create new bridgedb (implicitly generates keys)
-        BridgeDb::new()
+        let bridgedb = BridgeDb::new();
+
+        // output full serialized bridgedb
+        let mut bridgedb_outfile =
+            File::create(bridgedb_outfile_name).expect("Failed to create bridgedb.json");
+        let bridgedb_outfile_json = serde_json::to_string(&bridgedb).unwrap();
+        write!(bridgedb_outfile, "{}", bridgedb_outfile_json)
+            .expect("Failed to write to bridgedb.json");
+
+        // output bridgedb public key
+        let mut bridgedb_pubkey_outfile =
+            File::create("bridgedb_pubkey.json").expect("Failed to create bridgedb_pubkey.json");
+        write!(
+            bridgedb_pubkey_outfile,
+            "{}",
+            serde_json::to_string(&bridgedb.pubkey).unwrap()
+        )
+        .expect("Failed to write to bridgedb_pubkey.json");
+
+        // return bridgedb
+        bridgedb
     };
-
-    // output full serialized bridgedb
-    let mut bridgedb_outfile =
-        File::create(bridgedb_outfile_name).expect("Failed to create bridgedb.json");
-    let bridgedb_outfile_json = serde_json::to_string(&bridgedb).unwrap();
-    write!(bridgedb_outfile, "{}", bridgedb_outfile_json)
-        .expect("Failed to write to bridgedb.json");
-
-    // output bridgedb public key
-    let mut bridgedb_pubkey_outfile =
-        File::create("bridgedb_pubkey.json").expect("Failed to create bridgedb_pubkey.json");
-    write!(
-        bridgedb_pubkey_outfile,
-        "{}",
-        serde_json::to_string(&bridgedb.pubkey).unwrap()
-    )
-    .expect("Failed to write to bridgedb_pubkey.json");
 }